Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-16
AnImmense European Garden.

There could scarcely be any pretter
farming country than that seen all the
way from Vienna, says correspondent
OF the indianapolis Ne'cs. 1t Is one
immense galden. It begins long before
you reach Vienna, aud the entire
stretch of country seems to be vast
fertile plain, broken only here and
there with rolling ground and dotted
with quaint German farm-houses and
villages. II this season of the year the
grain crop is being taken in and these
fields present q lively scene. There are
no fences or hedges, and eithora narrow
road or path or ditch set with shade
trees indicates the edge OF farms.
Along the railroad for miles is a dirt
fence-a simple embankment tapering
up to a ridge and soddcd-which serves
to protect the railroad from encroach-
ing stock. The bank looks like a mill
tary work and gives the railroad the
appearance Of running along the bot
tom of canal. Here and there an at
tempt has been made to grow hedge
along the ridge, but tine scheme wouldn't
work. In Normandy the mud-fence IS
literally made of mud baked IN the sun
as it is laid up. 1t is as solid as stone
and as ugly as the pictorial Satan. A
good deal of this country needs irriga-
ton, but, judging from the crops, it
must be very fertile. OF I'LL other peO-
ole the German farmers know how to
get the most ont OF the soil and best
how to preserve that soil from deterio-
ration. The German villages arc the
most uninvting, and their houses are
quite as LONELY as the traditional mud
fence. The houses are all OF o simple
ciear-box pattern, with low walls Of
stuccoed brick and wide-pitched roofs
At first the house looks rs il it were
all roof. q closer view developing
low sidewalks without windows. The
gable windows furnish tho neces-
sary light, an eyelet in the roof
helping out the garnet. These eyes in
the roof have a very queer effect and a
wonderful fascination for me. They
are formed by bulge in the roof, rs
though somebody had risen hastily IL
the night and made n break there TO
peep out. Together in the dark-red or
moss. grown roofs they have often the APP
pearance of the eyes OF sleepy cat, the
pupils half hidden beneath the droop-
ing lid. This feline expression is some
times so wonderfully life-like that
it fairly startIes you when flashed upon
you suddenly by the track. 1t seems
as if the quaint old houses were on the
watch. II | were German boy ]
should hesitate before climbing other
people cherry trees with those alert eyes
upon me-but should proudly clint
after got through hesitating. Thes.
houses may be seen all looking out fol
themselves all the way from Vienna t
Berlin. There is absolutely 10 pre-
tence at architecture in the village ans
farm house. There is no effort a
adornment, no pretty gardens, NJ
dover beds. and if a creeper hides tn,
ugliress of dwelling or gives it pic
turesque effect it is accident.
The old-fashioned cradle is mostly
used to cut wheat, but very often the
women 10 the work with sickles. II
either case the straw is cut of very low
When the field is cleared of standing
grain the women and children pas
over it with rakes or by hand picking VI
single straws, and when the cleaners ar
through there isn't enough left on tn,
ground to board mouse week. II
many instances | noticed the plowmal
following pretty closely upon the heel
of the cleaner preparing fOr'the mex
crop, for the season is short here, anC
wheat is sowed and reaped about TIN
same time. The pillow invariably ha
two iron wheels, one running in The
furrow and one on the land side. The
end of the beam projects over this axle
in q curiously elevated way, and whel
a woman rides the beam the outfit hs
a singular look TO o man who farmed il
America. The ground is hard and dr.,
now, and the woman on the beam is no
an uncommon thing. She mounts it a
the dry spots to keep the plowshare il
the ground. | have ridden pillow
beams myself, and the memor,
of the shaking-up L got come
back freshly upon me at the sight o
these women. When woman gets to,
old to ride plow-beam here she dies
After the pillow there comes big, strap
ping, baIe-legged, and bare-footed girl
with long-handled mallets breaking tn
big clods. They are followed by tn
harrow, and when the grain has bee
put in that field is as fine as silk. L
some cases saw manure heaps folio,
the disappearing grain, girls spreadin
it with forks, and the plowmen crowd
ing closely on their heels. These Gel
man farmers beat the world.
All through Austria and Germany
see the working dog in harness, III
same as i found him first at InterlakeI
The dog here is a very useful ANNA
and is much in favor with those VIII
are too poor to own horse-milk an
other vendors. They hitch the dog
with harness the same as they would
4 4. ~. L. n